The other woman, the one the seer girl came with, was nowhere in sight. Instead, the girl followed the Duchess around and sat with her when the meal was announced.

He couldn’t approach her with the Duchess there. Or at all if he couldn’t find a pretense.

Frustrated, Asher stood along the wall behind where his mistress sat. She didn’t really need him, but she seemed hyper aware of his presence. Or maybe just worried about him misbehaving. Because she kept looking over her shoulder at him with warning glares.

He ignored them. Studying his toes whenever she looked his way and monitoring his target when the mistress wasn’t watching.

And the seer girl was watching him, too.

When had she noticed he was in the room?

Several times, they made eye contact. Her expression was already tense, and she was fidgeting through the entire meal. But when he caught her eye, she’d bite her lip and look away.

What did that mean?

Damn it! He needed to talk to her.

The banquet seemed to drag on and on. And he was thinking the gods had decided to make sure he didn’t get what he wanted. On top of being hungry, tired, and stressed.

It was near the end when he glanced at the top table one last time. People were getting up and either walking away to talk in groups again or making their way home.

He froze.

The girl was gone.

Where’d she go!?

He whipped his gaze around with an inward curse. And to his relief, spotted her leaving the banquet hall with the Duchess.

He glanced at his mistress. Who would probably punish him severely if he left. Taking a deep breath and clenching his fists, he slipped away anyway.

By the time he found his way to the door, the duo was already gone.

Maybe if he stayed here, he’d catch her on her way back?

A door opened down the hall.

“Oh, and tell Baroness Raynish I’ll return her niece to her shortly.”

“Yes, your grace.”

The maid bowed and closed the door behind her. Asher laughed to himself as he waited for the maid to vanish back into the banquet hall.

If he’d been human, and his hearing normal for a human, he would never have heard that!

Pleased, he jumped out the opposite window.

It was a short drop to the ground, and he wasted no time dashing down the wall to the window he wanted. Cautiously, he crouched below it.

If he was lucky, he’d get a chance to climb inside and talk to her there. That would be ideal, a place where no one would be watching. He leaned back his head and closed his eyes to listen.

“... beautiful! Thank you! And don’t worry, getting it straight from you is better.”

“I wouldn’t describe it as beautiful,” the Duchess said. Sounding amused. “Personally, I thought it was a rather boring topic.”

“Do you know how hard it is to get a book? Any book? Especially out in Silver Vale. I think I’ve read more military reports than a squire.”

The older woman barked a laugh.

“I was right! You are an interesting little creature. What’s the interest in gods, anyway? Do you intend to make yourself a priestess?”

“No, your grace. Loki follows me around like a puppy, so I wanted to know more about them. But we don’t have any priests at the castle. I have to travel hours if I want to see one. And you know, they’re so impatient with my questions!”

“Loki, huh?” There was a rustling sound. “Sit, dear. My old hips aren’t what they used to be.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, I’m glad it’s a satisfactory birthday gift. Tell me about Loki? Or Silver Vale? Or your brother. He’s a handsome man and I have three nieces who won’t shut up about him. Anything interesting to tell them will amuse me.”

“Actually, your grace, I have something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh? Aren’t you a little young for conversations of intrigue?”

“Don’t laugh, your grace. I’m being serious.”

“I can see that.” The woman’s voice was full of smiles.

Asher shifted onto one knee, saving his back for a moment longer.

There was a pause and some movement.

“Now, what’s this?”

“It’s called azuremere, your grace.”

Asher’s chin snapped up, and he stared, wide-eyed, at the windowsill.

“It looks like water to me. Why give it a special name?”

“Because its special water. It has the ability to stabilize any alchemy potion.”

There was a sudden, almost deafening silence. Even the crickets seemed to hold their breath.

“What?”

“You heard me, your grace. I brought you a sample so you can try it.”

The woman laughed. It was a tense, dangerous laugh. “Alchemy is illegal, dear.”

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“Which is why I wanted to see you alone to discuss it.”

“Who put you up to this?”

“I have friends who make the water and I told them I’d find a market. You were my best lead.”

“Do your friends happen to reside in the Imperial Palace?”

There was a pause.

“Have you heard anything about my parents’ deaths?”

“I’m not sure what that has to do with this conversation.”

Maddened by the talk and not able to see anything, Asher cautiously stood up and put his back along the wall. Where he could peek in through the fluttering curtains.

The girl leaned forward on her knees. Propping her chin her hands and her expression serious.

“I’ve been reading Flint’s reports. We already knew Felix, my other brother, had ordered an assassination. We can’t prove it, but there are hints it was probably Prince Thiago who ordered him to do it.”

Pause. From this angle Asher couldn’t see the Duchess’s face. Only her foot tapping soundlessly on the carpet under the coffee table.

“Is that so?”

“And if I wanted to profit from the Imperial Palace, I have something far more valuable than azuremere to offer. Something that would guarantee me a place as his concubine. But, considering what we suspect, I want nothing to do with the Palace.”

“Really? And what do you want?”

“You’ve heard about my family’s financial troubles. If you find I’m not lying about the water being a stabilizer, I stand to make a good profit as the go between.”

The Duchess didn’t answer.

Tapping her foot as she considered the precocious little girl.

Asher didn’t know what Waghorn thought, but he was staring at the girl like she’d grown a second head.

What the hell was this?!

“You don’t have to believe me, your grace.”

The girl sat up. Then, taking it from her lap, she put a small jar of water on the coffee table between them.

“But try the water, anyway. Think of everything that could go right if it really does what I claim it does. It would be a shame for you to had such a valuable resource for your experiments slip away from you.”

The woman chuckled.

“What a little business woman you are.” A hand appeared as the Duchess picked up the jar. “By taking this supposedly precious water, I’m not admitting to anything.”

“No, ma’am.”

“You understand that I’m simply trying to keep a silly child from getting into trouble. Alchemy is, after all, black market business and often leads to drug dealing.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Now, I believe your aunt might worry about you by now.”

The girl laughed as she stood up. Straightening her skirt as she did.

“Aunt Eileen is more worried about social climbing than my welfare. She probably will only notice I’m gone if Flint asks her where I am. Or if she saw me slip away with you.”

The Duchess snorted.

“How astute. Off you go.”

“Yes, your grace.”

The girl curtsied. The normal curtsy of respect, not the one she’d given him.

Crap!

Cursing inwardly, Asher hurried back to the window he’d jumped out of. After making sure no one was in the hallway, he pulled himself inside.

By then, the girl was walking through the nearest door into the banquet hall.

This was his last chance! He had to catch her.

If anyone asked, he was delivering a message.

Grimly making up the story, he rushed back into the banquet hall and looked around. Most of the tables had been vacated or shuffled with new occupants by now. Many people had also gone home instead of staying to talk longer.

So it made it easier to spot his target as she walked with a determined step toward the other end of the hall.

He was so focused on her he didn’t notice the group he was skirting to get to her.

He did noticed when someone grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him around to look him in the face.

Instantly, he paled and his breath caught.

“What is this?”

The blonde man stared at Asher like he’d found dog crap on his shoe. Then he threw Asher to the ground and signalled one of his guards.

The guard pulled out his sword with a squeal and pointed the tip at Asher’s face.

“Silver hair, red eyes.” Prince Thiago leaned over, studying Asher intently. “I thought I ordered all lycan of that description to be killed.”

Asher’s entire body froze. His breathing became gasps as fear paralyzed him. And around them, they were gathering attention.

One onlooker was the little girl. She squeezed her way through the gathered people until she got a good look at him.

Then her eyes widened, and she frantically grabbed the hand of a black-haired man.

The man glanced at her pleading eyes and away.

“What do you think?” The blonde man lazily looked around. “Would it be entertaining to carve him up here? Or are there too many tender eyes present?”

There was a nervous chuckle from the onlookers.

“The boy’s a slave.” All eyes flicked to the black-haired man. He took a sip of his champaign and didn’t look at Asher as he spoke. “All slave traders have the proper instructions to check for fugitives. It would be illegal to kill someone’s property without good reason.”

“Such a square, Grimshaw. I could just compensate the owner.”

“You could.”

‘Grimshaw’ took another sip of champagne and put the glass on a nearby table.

“If you do kill the boy, I’m sure the ladies would appreciate it if you didn’t do it here. I would appreciate it as well, as my sister is present.”

Thiago laughed and abruptly changed ploys. He slapped Grimshaw on the shoulder, grinning.

“You are such a softie! Very well, no blood at this event. But someone get Madeline.” He turned a smirk on Asher’s terrified face. “I want to be sure this pup isn’t dangerous.”

Asher faced death on a daily basis.

Just a short while ago, he was even prepared to attack this man and die afterward.

He didn’t know why he froze. Unable to move or make a sound as a woman was brought from somewhere in the hall. And seeing her only made his reaction worse.

Because he recognized her.

The worst day of his life flashed through his head. Bringing him back to when he saw his bodyguard die and when he was still absorbing that his brothers were also dead.

His body went from frozen fear to shaking.

He felt like the terrified child he’d been before.

Meanwhile, the woman, Madeline, crossed her arms and looked down at him with absolute disinterest. With a roll of her eyes, she faced Thiago.

“What?”

Thiago raised an eyebrow, and she took a deep breath.

“I apologize, your highness. What can I do for you?”

With a smirk, Thiago jerked his chin at Asher.

“Test him.”

She raised an eyebrow. “For what?”

Thiago’s smile slipped. Just a little. Just enough for his annoyance to flash through. Then it came back full force.

“He looks like he belongs to the Wyngarde royal family. I want you to test him for mana.”

“Oh? Is that all? Very well, your highness.”

The woman frowned and bowed her head. Then she slipped a crystal from around her neck.

“This is not a proper mana test. Understand, if it reacts, I cannot test his ability or strength. You need another tool for that.”

Thiago waved that away.

“The boy will be dead if it reacts. Just do it.”